In a letter to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), MACPAC commented on the CDC’s notice with comment period on the systemic redesign of the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) to be implemented in 2028. The Commission’s comments focus on the important role of national health survey data in understanding the experiences of Medicaid-covered adults and children with accessing health care services, and how MACPAC staff use NHIS data to advance the Commission’s Medicaid policy research.
The Commission urges the CDC to reconsider the proposed changes to the adult and child questionnaires. MACPAC recognizes the importance of reducing respondent burden, seeking flexibility in data collection, and incorporating emerging topics into the NHIS. At the same time, changes to longstanding questions can affect the continuity, reliability, and policy value of the survey.